Serious question, did anyone else get a bad feeling from that recruiter at the Austin tech meetup last week?

He was from a big staffing firm and promised a 20% salary jump for a role that sounded too good. I gave him my resume and he ghosted me after three days, no reply to emails. Now I'm worried he just wanted to collect contacts. How do you spot recruiters who aren't really there to help?

3 comments

3 Comments

averywilliams7d ago

That firm has a 60% placement fee they charge companies. They get paid even for a bad fit. Ask them directly what their fee structure is. A real recruiter's money comes from you staying in the job, not just handing over a resume. If they dodge that question, they're just farming.

the_tara7d ago

Yeah, that's a classic move. They're just building their contact list. A real recruiter will talk about the actual job, not just the salary bump. If they lead with money and go quiet, they were never trying to fill a role. Check their LinkedIn to see if they have a history of placing people, not just adding connections.

laurac961d ago

Ugh, did he ask you a single thing about what you actually want to do? The bad ones just talk at you about the salary and the "amazing company culture" without ever listening. I had one who kept pushing me toward a job that was all travel when my resume clearly says I have a young kid at home. They just see a keyword match and a commission check. A good one will ask about your career goals and what a bad day looks like for you. If they don't care about fit, they don't care about you.